2024 Impact Report

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Metro

DEAR FRIENDS,

Thank you for being part of the Metro United Way family – an unstoppable, bold network of innovators and problem-solvers that positively impacts our Greater Louisville region each year! This is the second year that we’ve created this Impact Report that highlights the work that we’ve done together to improve lives and our community, and we’ve expanded it given the great feedback we’ve received from our supporters!

At Metro United Way, we’ve been working to help individuals and families for 107 years but thanks to you, we’re just getting started. Today, we strive to support thriving kids, strong households, and an equitable community. These strategic priorities focus our impact toward the root causes of systemic issues that affect everyone.

In this Impact Report, you’ll find out why these three priorities are crucial to moving us forward and what we’re doing to get there to make the 7-counties we serve in Kentucky and Indiana the best places to live, work, and raise a family.

You’ll also find a complete list of our Board of Directors, volunteer Community Impact Cabinet, hundreds of community partners in this work, hundreds of corporate partners and donors that help make it all possible, and other stories and highlights from 2024.

Thank you again for believing in us and empowering us to do this incredible work. I couldn’t be prouder of my staff and the powerful volunteers who work alongside us every day to transform every neighborhood in our community.

And here’s to an even better 2025!

Metro United Way President & CEO, Adria Johnson, outdoor headshot rounded corner

All my best,


Adria Johnson
President & CEO
Metro United Way

OUR PRIORITIES AND IMPACT

  • Thriving Kids

    There’s nothing more important than ensuring our community’s children have what they need to thrive.

  • Strong Households

    When families have what they need, they can break cycles of poverty and work toward a better tomorrow for future generations and our entire community.

  • Equitable Community

    We envision the Greater Louisville region as a place where zip code doesn’t determine destiny and everyone has the opportunity to grow into their full potential.

Metro United Way works to ensure that the Greater Louisville region has thriving kids, strong households, and an equitable community. Take a look at where this work is happening across the seven counties that we serve.

Metro United Way Impact Map graphic showing locations of work broken out by priority area

Here HERE to see an interactive map with more detail.

 

 

7 WAYS METRO UNITED WAY WORKS DIFFERENTLY TODAY

For more than 107 years, Metro United Way has been working to improve lives and the Greater Louisville region. But we have changed how we do that work – especially in the last 3-4 years. Today, we are no longer a community chest-pass-through organization but strategically investing in solutions to persistent and systemic issues to help make a better community for every person.

  • Money Bag icon
    Under our new model of community transformation, Metro United Way has
    invested $48,818,924.33
    in just four years to address our community’s biggest challenges.

But what we do is so much more than funding. Here are some of the ways we have updated our work to make our impact even greater to ensure we have thriving kids, strong households, and an equitable community:

Metro

  1. FUNDING & INVESTMENTS

    Invest in more nonprofits today than ever before but we are more focused on solutions and solving community issues for transformational change.

  2. VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT

    Help organizations get connected to volunteers and also help volunteers use their skills and talent through year-round volunteer events and projects.

  3. REFERRAL NETWORKS

    Help connect individuals and organizations to resources in our community through a network of social services, health care, housing, and more.

  4. CONVENING & COLLECTIVE IMPACT

    Create spaces to solve problems together that we couldn’t do on our own as many community issues are too big for any organization to solve by themselves.

  5. CAPACITY BUILDING

    Offer opportunities, resources, and trainings for people to learn new skills that help enhance our partner organizations’ ability to achieve their mission.

  6. PILOTING INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS

    Help create new types of programming that could address community issues in ways that haven’t been done before, or have been proven elsewhere.

  7. ADVOCACY & POLICY

    We know that programming alone cannot fix what policy created so we developed a public policy team and agenda to help leverage more voices.

There’s nothing more important than ensuring our community’s children have what they need to thrive.

 

A child who thrives is happy, healthy, and has a strong sense of well-being. They feel secure and unconditionally loved, while also being heard, having hope for the future, and a strong sense of belonging. They are allowed to explore, play, and dream big as they envision their own future and the future of our community.

But, children in our community face a range of challenges that impact their well-being, educational success, and ability to transition into adulthood. This is because of disparities in opportunities as well as systemic injustices. Metro United Way is working to address barriers and gaps in services and systems to create a cohesive network addressing all challenges to unlock kids’ potential so that they may thrive.

Real People. Real Stories.

  • Resource Connection

    “(MUW) noticed developmental delays and suggested First Steps which is currently helping my son with his speech and motor delays. We’d never known or connected to these resources if not for (MUW) and the great work they are doing.”

  • System Navigation

    An unhoused mom was not able to enroll her child into JCPS
    preschool without a current address and became overwhelmed with navigating the system. She had given up when our ASQ team contacted her. With permission from the mom, we spoke to JCPS and determined the next steps and the child started preschool in August.

  • Community Investment

    A youth-serving organization stated that they were going to have to take out a loan to continue their services to kids in our community until Metro United Way invested in their work.

2024 HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 


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When families have what they need, they can break cycles of poverty and work toward a better tomorrow for future generations and our entire community.

 

Strong households have the primary resources needed to survive such as food, shelter, and care for mental and physical needs. They also have the ability to make choices and have hope for the future, envisioning possibilities for themselves and their community. This creates dignity in spaces where every person is connected, respected, and celebrated. Strong households are the foundation of a vibrant community and when they are strong, our entire community is strong.

But we know that for many families achieving this vision begins with having enough money to cover basic necessities like housing, transportation, food, and more. And to compound this, there are barriers or lack of access to these fundamental needs that are interconnected that contribute to this and make it a more complex issue than just limited income. Metro United Way is working with a network of partners to address these issues.

Real People. Real Stories.

2024 HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 

Strong Households stats image 1
Strong Households stats image 2

A
Basic
Mom

We envision the Greater Louisville region as a place where zip code doesn’t determine destiny and everyone has the opportunity to grow into their full potential.

 

An equitable community is one where every individual has access to the full benefits of society, and is valued and treated with fairness and justice. Residents understand the biases of racial, social, and economic systems and are empowered to participate in social, cultural, and economic life. It’s where meeting needs and achieving one’s full potential are not in any way predicated on identity, but the inherent right that every human has, allowing all to have barrier-free opportunities and experience the best possible outcomes: long lives, high quality of life, and safety.

But, despite our vision of an equitable Greater Louisville region, historical inequities, socioeconomic disparities, cultural and systemic barriers, and lack of awareness and engagement hinder progress toward ensuring equitable outcomes for all. Metro United Way is working to address these inequities and barriers with a network of partners in a variety of ways.

Real People. Real Stories.

2024 HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 


THANK YOU

Without you, we can’t do what we do. Thank you for your support, your trust, your belief in us, and your love for our community!

7,201

DONORS

6,676

VOLUNTEERS

615

CORPORATE PARTNERS

1,000+

NONPROFIT PARTNERS

29,943

INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED

Board of Directors

Adria Johnson
Metro United Way
Ashley Duncan, Chair
Republic Bank
Tommy Wallace, Vice Chair
Old National Louisville Region
Patricia Carver, Treasurer
Community Volunteer
Dr. Tracy Barber
Jefferson County Public Schools
Lonnie Bellar
LG&E KU Energy LLC
Lynda Bolt-Jones
PNC Bank
Anya Bond-Beckley
Givaudan
Dr. Karen M. Cost
Norton Healthcare
Patrick Coty
Yum! Brands, Inc.
Douglass Craddock
University of Louisville
Sam Draut
YPAL & WDRB
Nate Fowler
Frost Brown Todd
Matt Gibson
Kentucky Derby Festival
Keith Hamilton
LB Manufacturing LLC
Jerry Henderson
Forvis Mazars
Erin Herbert
Muhammad Ali Center
Bill Hollander
Community Volunteer
Larry Horn
Amplify Louisville
Kristel Jensen
Fifth Third Bank
Stephen Lukinovich
Cherry Bekaert Clark County
Jennifer Nachreiner
Aetna Better Health of KY
Ashwin Netto
Strothman & Co.
Crystal Peterson
Brown-Forman Corporation
Judi Petty
Community Volunteer
Valecia Quinn
Jewish Family & Career Services
Maddie Shepard
Jefferson County Teachers Association
Dr. William Stout
Community Volunteer
Syd Whitlock
New Washington State Bank
Kristen Williams
Play Cousins Collective

Thank you to these Board members who completed their term in 2024:
Lisa Bottorff, Natalie Harris, Aimee Jewell, Josh Kornberg, Tanelle Sawyer, Kelly Schulz, Suzanne Wright, and Nicole Yates.

Community Impact Cabinet

Valecia Quinn, Chair
Jewish Family & Career Services
Anya Bond-Beckley
Givaudan Sense Colour
Ann Carruthers
Clark/Floyd Systems of CARE
Chrystal Hawkins
Chrystal Power Consulting
Gaberiel Jones
University of Louisville
Alecia Kennedy
Humana Inc.
Vanessa Koenigsmark
Louisville Housing Opportunities
and Micro-Enterprise (LHOME)
Tyler Radford
Louisville Urban League
Tiffany Reynolds
Bullitt County Public Schools
Mark Robson
Oldham County Public Schools
Megan Williams
Meritrust Wealth Management

Thank you to these Community Impact Cabinet members who completed their term in 2024:
Aaron Brewer, Vanessa Brewer, Ria Chandler, Aimee Jewell, Lauren Peter, Josh Williams.

Nonprofit Partners

2NOT1 Granny’s Girls Birth Initiative Personal Counseling Service, Inc.
300FOR300 Harrison County Community Services, Inc. Pinwheel Group
A Hand Up Community Resource Center Hazel Joyce Wiley Career & Financial Literacy Institute Play Cousins Co-Op
Ace Project, Inc. HHN2L, Inc. Power 2, Inc.
Adelante Hispanic Achievers, Inc. Highland Park Community Development Corp Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence
Align Southern Indiana Home of the Innocents, Inc. Project Community Center, Inc.
American Red Cross Homeless Coalition of  Southern Indiana Prominent Youth of America
Americana Community Center Hoosier Hills Pact Rauch, Inc.
AMPED Hope Buss River City Drum Corp Cultural Arts Institute
AnyOneCanRead Hope Health Clinic Robert Jamison Ministries
Apprisen Hope Southern Indiana Roots 101 African American Museum
Backside Learning Center Horse Sensing Russell: A Place of Promise
Bellarmine University Inside the Lines Training Safe Passage
Bellewood and Brooklawn Inspire1 Salt and Light Community Development Corporation
Big Brother Big Sisters of  Kentuckiana, Inc. Jewish Community of Louisville, Inc. Seven County Services
Black Minds Matter Louisville, Inc. Jewish Family & Career Services Shelby County Public Schools
Blue River Services, Inc. Joshua Community Connectors Shepherdsville First Church of the Nazarene
Boy Scouts of America, Lincoln Heritage Council Just Between Teens Shively Area Ministries
Boys & Girls Clubs of Kentuckiana Kaylyn’s House of Joy, Inc. Sickle Cell Association of Kentuckiana
Boys & Girls Clubs of Harrison –  Crawford Counties Keeping it Real Skillz 4 Life
BrainStem KentuckianaWorks Smoketown Family Wellness Center
Bridge Kids International Kentucky Chess Ambassadors Society of St. Vincent De Paul Louisville
Bridgehaven, Inc. Kentucky Refugee Ministries Somali Community of Louisville
Bridging The Gap Learning Academy Kentucky Youth Advocates, Inc. South Louisville Community Ministries
Bullitt County Public Schools La Casita Southwest Family Ministries
Buttafly Communications Legal Aid Society, Inc. Sowing Seeds with Faith
CASA of The River Region Leora Brown School St. George Scholar Institute
Catholic Charities of Louisville LHOME St. Joseph Children’s Home
Center for Lay Ministries Life Development Corporation STEAM Exchange
Center for Neighborhoods Lifehouse Maternity Home Summer Bridge
Center for Nonprofit Excellence Lifespan Resources Tech-Nique
Central Louisville Community Ministries Lighthouse Promise, Inc. Lighthouse Academy at Newburg The Arthur S. Kling Center
Centro Latino of Shelbyville, Inc. Louisville Asset Building Coalition The Association of Community Ministries
Change Today, Change Tomorrow Louiville Central Community Centers, Inc. The Book Works
Children Have Options In Choosing Experiences (C.H.O.I.C.E.,  Inc, Louisville) Louisville Metro Government The Center for Women and Families
Children Shouldn’t Hunger Louisville Metro Resilience and Community Services, Office of Financial Empowerment The Food Literacy Project
Choosewell Communities Louisville Urban League, Inc. The Prophecy Foundation
Clark County Youth Shelter and  Family Services, Inc. Louisville Youth Group The Salvation Army Louisville Area
Coalition for the Homeless Lynnhurst Community Outreach The Salvation Army of Southern Indiana, Inc.
Coalition Supporting Young Adults Ministries United of South Central The Shelbyville Area NAACP Branch
Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky Minority Health Project The Social Practice Lab KY
Community Action of Southern Indiana Molo Village CDC Tip It Forward
Community Chest of Oldham County Muhammad Ali Museum and Education Center Tiger Strike Martial Arts
Community Coordinated Child Care National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) Tri-County Community Action Agency, Inc.
Council on Developmental Disabilities Nativity Academy at St. Boniface Turnaround Resource Center, Inc.
Decode Project, Inc. Neighborhood House, Inc. United Crescent Hill Ministries
Delta Foundation New Albany Floyd County ED. Foundation United Way of Kentucky
Dorman Preschool Center New Century Fellowship Christian Church University of Louisville Foundation, Inc.
Elevate Louisville New Directions Housing Corporation Volunteers of America Mid-States
Evolve 502 Oldham County Education Foundation Wesley House Community Services
Family and Children’s Place Oldham County Health Department West Louisville Community Ministries
Family Health Centers of Southern Indiana Oldham County Public Library West Louisville Math and Science Project
Family Scholar House Olive Tree Resources, Inc. Worth the Words
First Gethsemane Center for Family Development, Inc. On My Way Pre-K YMCA of Greater Louisville, Inc.
Fresh Anointing Child Development Center Operaction Care, Inc. YMCA of Harrison County
Fund Black Founders Options Unlimited, Inc. Young Author’s Greenhouse
Girl Scouts of  Kentuckiana Our Place Drug & Alcohol Education Services, Inc. Youth Link Southern Indiana
Global Game Changers Children’s Education Initiative, Inc. Out Loud Louisville Youthbuild Louisville
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky Peace Education Program Zora’s Cradle
Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana, Inc. People Against Trafficking Humans Coalition of Kentucky (PATH)

In addition to these nonprofits, we work with 100 organizations in the Ready for K Alliance, nearly 200 organizations in our youth success network, 472 organizations in our United Community network, and 742 organizations with our 2-1-1 helpline, information, and referral service.

Corporate Partners

AAA East Central Givaudan Sense Colour PACCAR Parts, Louisville Parts
Allied Solutions Global Payment Services Park National Bank
Allnex Goldberg Simpson Paychex
Amcor Flexibles Goodwill Peoples Bank
American Commercial Barge Line Gordon Food Service Personal Counseling Service
American Synthetic Rubber Company Grange Insurance Companies PetSmart
Ameritas Graphic Packaging International PNC
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Greater Clark County Schools PPG Industries
Arcosa Greater Louisville Inc. Publix
Arlington / Roe Properties Gresham, Smith & Partners PriceWeber
Assurant Solutions Harding, Shymanski and Company Principal Financial Group
AT&T Kentucky Hardscuffle, Inc. Protective Life Insurance
Atmos Energy Harford Mutual Insurance Group Puirty Chapter #116
Auto Truck Group Harrison County Community Services PwC
Avaya Harrison County R.E.M.C. Qk4
BAE Systems HCA Foundation Ratterman & Sons
Baird Heaven Hill Distilleries Rauch
Bank of America / Merrill Lynch Heritage Ford Raymond James
Baptist East Milestone Wellness Center Hope Southern Indiana RBR Alliance
BASF Corporation Hosparus Regions Bank
BCBSM Housing Authority New Albany Republic Bank & Trust
Beam Suntory Hubbuch & Company Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions
Bellarmine University Humana Inc. RICOH
Bennett & Bennett Insurance IBM Corporation Rockwell Automation
Best Buy Independence Bank of Kentucky Rogers Property Management LLC
Better Business Bureau Indiana University Southeast Roll Forming Corporation
Bissell Indiana-American Water Co Saint-Gobain Corporation
Black & Veatch ITG Brands Salt River Electric
Blue River Services J C Penney Company Schimpff’s Confectionery
BMO Harris JBS ScionHealth
Bohnert Equipment Jefferson Community & Technical College Semonin Realtors
Bowles Mattress Company Jefferson County Public Schools Sheakley
Boyd Company Jeffersonville Township Public Library Shelby County Public Schools
Bramco Jewish Family and Career Services Shelbyville Rotary Club
Bridgehaven Jim O’Neal Ford Siskin Steel Supply Company
BrightSpring Health Services JLL Spalding University
Brown-Forman Corporation Johnson Controls SpeedWash
Building and Earth Sciences JOM Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. Standard Textile Company
C & I Engineering Joseph & Joseph Architects Stanley Black & Decker
Caesars Southern Indiana JP Morgan Chase Stantec Consulting
CarMax Kellogg Steel Dynamics
Caterpillar Logistics Kennametal Inc. Stites & Harbison
Centene Kentucky Association of Electric Coops Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company
Center for Lay Ministries Kentucky Farm Bureau Stoll Keenon Ogden
Center for Non-Profit Excellence Kentucky Lottery Corporation Stored Value Solutions
Centra Credit Union Kentucky Select Properties Strand Associates
Central Bank Kentucky State UAW CAP Council StratusLIVE
Century Communites Keystone Learning Academy Symbotic
Cherry Bekaert Knapheide Truck Parts TAP Pharmaceutical Products
Chevron Kohler Kitchen & Bath Company Target Corporation
Churchill Downs Kokosing Construction Company TD Ameritrade
City of Shelbyville Government KPMG LLP Team Fishel
Clark County Youth Shelter Kroger Company Telamon Corporation
Coalition For the Homeless Kyana Packaging Solutions Texas Gas
CoBank, Louisville Banking Lambert’s Distributors The Chemours Company
Coldwell Banker Rogers Realty Leadership Louisville Center The Courier-Journal
CommScope Leadership Southern Indiana The Dow Chemical Company
Community Coordinated Child Care Legal Aid Society The Frazier Kentucky History Museum
ConAgra LG&E and KU Energy & PPL The Glenview Trust Company
Constellation Energy Lifespring Health Systems The Salvation Army of Southern Indiana
Cornerstone Group Lochmueller Group Todd Asset Management
Costco Louisville Business First Town of Clarksville
Cummins Louisville Central Community Centers TQL
Custom Plywood Louisville Metro Government Traditional Bank
Dean Dorton Louisville Metro Housing Authority Transamerica
Deckel & Moneypenny, Inc. Louisville Regional Airport Authority Transcend Credit Union
Dell Louisville Water Company Trimac Transportation
Dentons Bingham Greenebaum LLP Luckett & Farley TSYS Merchant Solutions
Dillard’s MAC Construction & Excavating Unified Technologies
DMLO Macy’s United Food & Commercial Workers
Doe-Anderson Mariner Wealth Advisors United Healthcare of Kentucky
Duke Energy Martinrea United Utility Supply Cooperative
DuPont Louisville Works Meijer University of Louisville
Dynacraft, a PACCAR Company Messer Construction Company UPS
Eli Lilly and Company MetaBank US Bank
EMC Insurance Metropolitan Sewer District Valero
Enterprise Rent-A-Car National Tobacco Company Valu Discount, Inc.
ERDI Partners Nationwide Insurance Claims Vectren: A CenterPoint Energy Company
Exact Sciences Corporation Nelnet Veritiv Corporation
EY New Albany Floyd County Consolidated School Corporation Vocational Economics
Family Health Centers of Southern Indiana New Albany-Floyd County Public Library Voluforms
Farm Bureau Insurance Agency New Flyer of America Vulcan-Hart Corporation
Federal Express Corporation (SDF) New Washington State Bank Walgreens
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis NFI Parts Walker Information
Fifth Third Bank Norton Healthcare Wal-Mart
First Financial Bank Oasis Solutions Wellspring
First Harrison Bank OBGYN Assoc. of So. Indiana WesBanco
First Savings Bank Old National Bank Wesley House Community Services
FIS Oldham County Schools White Castle System
Florida Blue Omega Plastics Corporation WLKY-TV 32
Ford Motor Company One Southern Indiana Wolverine Worldwide
Forvis Mazars OneAmerica Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs
Frost Brown Todd Ops Plus Young Adult Development in Action
Fund for the Arts Options Unlimited Yum! Brands
GE Appliances, A Haier Company O’Reilly Auto Parts

 

Foundation Partners

American Pearl Endowment Fund Herman H. Nettelroth Fund Mildred V. Horn Foundation
Bonhomme Foundation, Inc. Humana Foundation PNC Foundation
Brown-Forman Foundation IN22/24 Matching Grants – Indiana United Ways Siemer Institute
Caesars Foundation of Floyd County Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Snowy Owl Foundation
C.E. and S. Foundation, Inc. Kentucky Regional Planning and Development Agency The Starbucks Foundation
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana Truist
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles LG&E and KU Foundation US Bank Foundation
Delta Dental of Kentucky Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation The V.V. Cooke Foundation
The Dunbar Foundation Lilly Endowment Inc. Mr. William C. Almstedt Foundation
Early Learning Indiana Louisville Metro Government Yum! Brands Foundation
Gheens Foundation Inc. The McReynolds Foundation
Harford Mutual Insurance Group May Wetherby Jones Foundation

Individual Donor Lists

YEAR IN REVIEW

 

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